When It Pours Outside
by OnTheOutsideLookingIn
Summary: Sethummer and Ryrissa. Chapter 4 Up.
1. Default Chapter

AN: Hey! This is my first O.C. fanfic, so I'd appreciate all the feedback (positive or not) that I can get, as well as pointers and suggestions. I'm going to eventually end up with Sethummer and RyRissa, but it'll take awhile to get there. Since there are going to be constantly shifting POV's, the regular font is just for dialogue and narration, the bold is for Summer, the Italics are for Marissa, the bold underlined is for Seth, and the italic underlined is for Ryan.

Summary: Ryan and Marissa are having problems… big problems. Marissa's been withdrawn, irritable, and drunk 95 of the time, and Ryan has no idea how to handle it… or the fact that she gave him a very sarcastic, cold "let's just be friends" speech a week ago. Seth is on the outs with Summer, and he can't figure out why… or why Summer and Zach seem to be spending so much time hanging out. What's the real reason behind all of this?

Chapter One: Rain, Rain, Go Away….

**It's raining. Gosh, I hate rain. The only reason it exists is because a bunch of miserable water particles in the clouds decided to make things easy on us instead of pushing scientists to figure out how to purify the trillions of gallons of water in the beaches of Newport alone. Where is she? I've been waiting for ten minutes! There she is….**

"Where've you been, Coop? I've been freezing my butt off, and don't ask me how, because yes, I know this is Newport and it never gets co…"

"I broke up with Ryan," Marissa blurted out, tears streaking her face.

"I'm gonna kill him! What'd he do?" Summer yelled, hugging Marissa and frowning at the same time.

"He didn't do anything. I just… can you promise not to tell Seth or Ryan something?"

"Uh, I think that's a given."

"I ran into Theresa last week. I was in a drugstore down near the numbered streets… I mean, it was late and I'd been driving around, and I really just wanted some aspirin before I started heading back home, and…. Well, there she was."

"Well, what does Miss I'll-Sleep-With-Ryan-Even-Though-He-Only-Broke-Up-With-His-Girlfriend-A-Millisecond-Ago have to do with anything? I mean, we all felt sorry for her… you knew that… but let's face it, she lost the baby, which by the way, we don't even know was Ryan's, and if she threatened you at all or is trying to get back with Ryan, then I will break her neck!"

"No, it wasn't like that… look, she had a baby with her. She said she was getting formula."

_I don't even know if I can say the next part. Please, Sum, just get it. Please just know what it is I'm talking about…_

"You mean she already had gotten knocked up again that soon after Ryan left? That's kind of… slutty."

_Okay, so we can rule out that option, huh?_

"No, Summer… look, it was Ryan's baby. She didn't come right out and say it, but you could tell… and she said she got back together with Eddy. He agreed to raise the baby like his own. I just can't…. I can't do that to Ryan, or her for that matter. I won't. I just needed to tell someone before I get up the nerve to tell him."

"Back up! You mean, all this time… she lied to Ryan like that? I can't believe her! She doesn't have the money to raise that kid all by herself! What does she think she's doing?"

"I'm gonna go see her. Talk to her… figure out if there's anything that I can do to help her out. Maybe I can convince Trey to share the apartment with her until further notice… Then, eventually, Ryan could always move in there with her and Trey could move into the Cohen's pool house."

"You're crazy. You can't do this… at least not alone. Let me come with you, get in a couple good verbal jabs if not a bunch of physical ones. I don't wanna beat the crap outta her in front of her baby."

Marissa sighed, leaning back against the bench and further under the umbrella's shelter. "If you promise to be good, I guess…. I just don't want her to feel cornered or attacked. I was a real jerk to Ryan, and he deserves someone better than me; someone like… like the mother of his child." She drew in a shaky breath before straightening her hair out and walking towards her car, parked in front of the bait shop, Summer's arm hooked through hers.

**Some people just don't know when to give it a rest. I mean, what was her problem that she had to do that? She had Ryan, and a baby, and a future. It wasn't fair of her to let him go back to Marissa and then snatch him away again. What if it had happened to Marissa? She wouldn't have been that selfish; she would've made sure her poor kid knew their dad. Every kid deserves a good set of parents… I would know.**

A cell phone started ringing, and Summer picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Summer, I needed to apologize for the whole graphic novel thing…"

"—Yeah, you do, Cohen. Do you have any idea how humiliating that was?"

"Look, I promise you it won't happen again, okay? Look, I was thinking about it, and if it's really that important, than I'll tell Zach and Reed that I need to bow out of the graphic novel. You are more important to me than anything…. Well, maybe not Chrismukkah, but you're a close second."

"Cohen, no! This is what you want, and you're just going to act like a grumpy, moping baby if you don't get it! I don't even care! Just, do whatever you want…"

_I don't care if it was like that between Ryan and me. I would have it that way in an instant instead of acting the way I did…_

Flashback

"Hey, how are you?" Ryan leaned in to kiss her, but Marissa turned her head.

"I'm fine. Can we just get to class?" she demanded, the edge in her voice sharper than any blade ever could be.

"What's going on with you? You've been so anxious and cranky lately that you're starting to outdo Seth and Summer put together," he complained, a miniscule smile touching his lips at his joke.

"Yeah, well at least I have something worth complaining about."

"What is it? Man, I've been trying to get you to tell me what's going on with you forever!"

"Yeah, well won't I just be 'dragging you down with me' again? Yeah, that's right, I haven't forgotten your little soapbox session," she snapped, whirling around to face him.

"You know that's not fair! I was really stressed out, and I was confused, and I just…"

"No! No more excuses from either of us. You know what, Ryan? This really isn't working out. Why don't you just run back to Lindsay or Theresa or maybe even some other new girl? After all, that's what you do every time things get tough with us. I'm done with this. We're through, so let's just be friends."

She stalked off, leaving a confused and heartbroken Ryan behind.

End of Flashback

"Marissa? Did you hear me?"

"What? I'm sorry, Sum."

"I was just saying what a complete jackass Seth is. I mean, he's literally acting like a donkey. He's being so stubborn and brain-dead… Oh, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be talking about Seth after Ryan… I mean, I just…"

"It's okay. Oh look, we're here…" As soon as Marissa pulled up, the two of them whipped open their doors and slammed them shut, making their way up to the front door. It opened suddenly, and Theresa stepped out. "I've been expecting you…" a frown creased her brow, and the two of them walked in as she closed the door behind.

_I can't believe it. Where is she?_

"Hello, there, my very sad-looking Amigos. What's up now? Did she threaten to kill you as well as rip out your heart?"

"Very funny. I tried to call her, straighten things out, and she's not there. I can't reach her cell phone either."

"Oh, she's with the very capricious Summer, who I just finished talking to. Man, it's really impossible to make the ladies happy, huh?"

"Yeah, that's how it's looking. Wait, where's Summer?"

"They're driving somewhere. Who knows? Anyway, I've seriously gotta revamp, man. I've already done everything possible to make Summer fall in love with me again. Maybe I should buy another boat and name it SUMMER II, huh? What do you think?"

"I think that maybe all of our answers lie wherever they're going."

"Dude, that was like the perfect quote for the graphic novel Summer's making me do even though she hates the idea of it. Can I use it?"

"Sure, whatever. Just, do me a favor and promise that right now we'll start looking for them?"

"Sure. Do you think that Zach is trying to get back together with Summer? 'Cause if so, maybe I should get into another fistfight with him. But I would probably lose, and that wouldn't look very good…" Seth rambled on as they jumped into the Cohen's car, not really sure where they were going, just going…

"Dude, we've looked everywhere. I'm beginning to think it's hopeless." Ryan pressed the bridge of his nose, thinking. "What are we forgetting about? Where else could they be?" "Maybe they went to TJ. They probably hopped on a bus and went to see Oliver at the institution." Ryan shot Seth a pithy glance, which he promptly replied to. "Okay, not funny, yeah…" Seth put his head down on the steering wheel. "We didn't even remember to ask for the car. We better get it back before mom and dad get home…."

So I know it's short, but the secret to more is read, review, and request! Catch ya later.


	2. The Rainy Day Women Part II

AN: Well, thanks for the reviews, guys! I'm hoping to cover a little bit more in this chapter, so any input is welcome afterwards.

Chapter Two: The Rainy Day Women Part II

**The fabulous four isn't going to be happening anytime soon. Ryan and Marissa are dead, and Summer and I might as well be… why did Zach have to come along anyway? I just needed time… I needed to figure things out. Even if Ryan hadn't come back, I still would've ended up back in Newport, because as much as I hate this place, it's my home…. Summer's my home.**

"Seth, I haven't heard two words come out of your mouth all evening," Sandy commented, wiping his mouth with the take-out napkin.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot for one moment how much everyone enjoys my rambling on and on about myself, and my problems, and my life… you know, I was considering becoming introspective, but sharing all my angst with you will make both of us feel so much better dad," Seth replied, taking his first real bite of food.

"Woah, bud, I don't know what's going on, but if it's girl problems, I'd recommend you sleep on it before you start acting like you're going through withdrawal."

"I am through withdrawal, dad; Summer withdrawal! It's like Summer fever, except this time it's different, because I don't want any ANNABIOTICS, I WANT SUMMER!" Sandy jumped a little. Seth never, ever yelled. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration… but simply put, he just wasn't himself tonight…

"Hey guys," Ryan sighed loudly as he walked in. He pulled a plate off the pile and started eating, searching through for the chow mein.

"You aren't gonnna find it, buddy. Kirsten took the rest of it before she went to bed."

"It's not that late, is it? I mean, doesn't she usually stay up a little later?"

"She doesn't seem to be feeling well lately, so I told her to take the night off and get some sleep. She deserves it."

"Well in that case, I will be invading Ryan's pool house and playing video games." Seth motioned for Ryan to follow after him, and Ryan pointed at his food. After a long silent battle, Ryan sighed and threw his meal away, following after Seth.

"You know, it's really rude to do that to someone, especially when they haven't eaten anything all day."

"Well, if you weren't in bed moping around after Marissa, than we wouldn't be having this problem. Gosh, you're better off without her anyways. I mean, as much as I like my aunt, she really does have a knack for stepping in and ruining things, doesn't she?"

"Seth, you're treading on dangerous ground here, buddy," Ryan warned, gripping his controller.

"Fine, I'll let up. I just don't get it. I mean, you're undoubtedly the coolest unpopular guy around, and I'm definitely the hottest guy around. That has to count for something with the ladies. I just wish they would wake up and realize that." With a sigh, Seth laid his remote controller down and picked up Captain Oats.

"What's up with that? You aren't planning to send him to his watery grave, are you?" joked Ryan, observed as Seth lovingly cradled the small plastic figurine.

"Summer's gonna break up with me soon. She hasn't said anything, but I can tell," he whispered softly. "When it happens, I figured I'd give her Captain Oats. Separating children as emotionally insecure as Princess Sparkle and Captain Oats isn't a good idea," he said, laughing slightly.

"Man, I know that this is hurting you. That's understandable. But don't give up yet. Listen, if I could do that day over again, I would have run after Marissa, held on tight, and never let go. I just let her run away and hide when she obviously needed me the most. I'm ashamed to admit that, because it probably makes me less of a man to have done that. It's just... that's the way things went down, okay? I can't do that over. You still have a chance. Just do us all a favor and don't waste it."

_Please, just listen to me Seth. I know what I'm talking about. Marissa… I need you. I want you. I just… I can't keep doing this without you. I can't keep going through the motions, pretending that I'll get over you eventually. Can't you see? I loved you… I never told anyone else that, no one. I told you, though. I know that you don't really want to just be done with it and throw our relationship away as if it was just some sort of a game for you. Please, I need you… I love you. _

Seth shook his head. "Summer and I, maybe we just weren't meant for anything long-term. No matter how much I… I l—how much I like her, things just can't work out between us."

"It's raining outside," Seth commented, gazing out the window. The rain thundered down in torrents, almost as if ready to shred the ground the moment the two made contact. A little gnome carelessly thrown in the yard of the house next door that Ryan had never noticed before appeared to be crying. Big, fat puddles seemed to overpower the pitiful, ugly little thing.

Seth saw where he was looking and said what they were both thinking, "Hey, look. It's us."

"Why did you lie to Ryan?" Marissa questioned, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.

"Ryan didn't love me. I didn't want my baby to grow up knowing that his father was only around because he had to be," Theresa answered defensively.

"You know that that wasn't how it would've gone down. Ryan would've made sure that child knew that he was loved, and that the fact that you two weren't together anymore was even more proof of that, proof that he loved that kid enough to stick around, unlike Ryan's dad!" She was shouting now, and tears trickled down her cheeks, leaving streaks of mascara and eyeliner.

"See, that's the problem with you! I do you a favor, and you still have to be Little Miss Heroic, disturbing something that would've been fine!" Theresa apparently had no problem yelling back.

"So it's fine to let a child grow up seeing the man he believes is his father beat his mother? What happens if Eddie turns on your baby boy, huh? What're you gonna do then?"

Theresa looked as though she'd been slapped, then began to cry silently. "I just want my baby to have a home. I want him to be loved, to have the security of a safe place."

Summer spoke up for the first time that night. She'd been clenching her jaw, holding back a floodgate of nasty words, but now she spoke in a small, vulnerable voice. "Ryan would give him that. I have to admit, what you did was really pretty rotten, no matter what your intentions were. We're not gonna let you go through this alone, though. Go back to Ryan, Theresa… get away from Eddie. They guy isn't good news, and he's just gonna keep on dragging you back down with him. Besides, buying enough makeup to cover all those black eyes up… it's gonna drain your funds," she said, laughing shakily.

"You really think that things would be different? Do you think… do you think Ryan could learn to love me?" Theresa asked softly, fingering a lock of her hair.

"He would do the right thing," Marissa said, looking down, looking to the side of the room, looking anywhere but at Theresa.

"Okay. Maybe you're right," She whispered.

"Look, Sum will help you pack your stuff, and I'll go call Trey. He can help you out for awhile, at least until we find you a place of your own. Just give me a list of the things you're going to need for the next couple of weeks and I'll go out and get them at the store, okay?"

Theresa nodded hesitantly then started writing everything out. "Okay, this should cover everything. I'll pay you back…"

"Just, tell Ryan the truth this time and we'll call it even," Marissa said with a half-smile.

_I miss you so much, Ryan. I'm so, so sorry… when Theresa shows up, you'll understand why. I never meant to hurt you… I love you. Maybe that's the worst part. No matter how long you're with Theresa, I will always love you. Please understand. Please know… please still love me when you find out the truth. _

**Poor Marissa… Theresa can see it in her eyes, and so can I… she and Ryan just do it for each other. They belong together. Maybe I didn't see it before, but I see it now. I just wish that she would admit it. Coop's doing the right thing… I just wish that the right thing didn't always hurt everyone so much.**

"Hey, Trey! Yeah, it's Marissa. Yeah… so listen, I've got this friend with a baby, and she really needs a place to crash… I can pay her way, I just need somewhere for her to stay. You know my mom would flip if I brought anyone home for too long, and under the circumstances I don't think it would be such a good idea for her to be staying at the Cohen's house. Really, you will? Thank you so much. This is great. Okay, we'll be there as soon as we get to Newport. Bye."

"So, now that that's taken care of, we should get going, huh?" Summer blurted out, looking around nervously.

"Relax, Sum. Give her a chance to say goodbye."

"Coop, I just really don't want Eddie showing up and deciding we all need a little tough love…" Summer shivered, and Marissa put her arm around her shoulder comfortingly.

"It's okay. Even if he did punch our faces in, your dad's a plastic surgeon, remember?"

"Yeah… I just never pictured myself having to get any work done by him."

"I'm ready to go you guys," Theresa interjected, walking out the door and putting her bags in the trunk.

"Great! Do you, uh, need any help getting the car seat set up?" Marissa asked.

"No, I'm good. Just give me a minute to get Charlie…"

"I like that name," Summer stated. "Hi Charlie. What's up, buddy? You're gonna be taking a kinda long ride with your mom and us. 'Us' would be me, Summer, and my best friend in the world, Coop. But, when you get old enough to talk, you can call me auntie… that sounds so much cuter!" Summer pretended to shake the baby's hand, making Marissa laugh lightly.

"Okay, you guys, let's get outta here. For good this time."

"I couldn't agree with you more," Theresa replied.

The rain had slowed down to a slight tinkle, and in contrast to earlier, it kissed the face of the ocean, slipping and sliding its way down cars and people and umbrellas as they went by. Seth and Ryan stood at the pier, not caring about the rain, or the fact that they would get sick out there like that. They turned around as a car rolled by, gaping when they saw three girls who were surprisingly familiar and one very unfamiliar baby occupying it.

"Thank you so much, Trey. I don't know how I could have done this without you."

"It's no problem, Theresa. You were always the little sister I never had. And in a really weird and twisted way, I'm kind of related to you now, but not officially, right?"

"Don't ask me. It all depends on what Ryan says when he finds out…" Theresa started to cry, and Trey pulled her into a hug.

"It's gonna be okay. You'll see. Ryan's a good guy; he'll do the right thing."

"I wish everyone would stop saying that. The more people talk about the right thing, the more I'm convinced that Ryan getting together with me would be the farthest thing from it." Trey just held the girl who'd once been one of his closest friends and let her cry.

"I'll see you later, Sum," Marissa said, waving at Summer as she drove away from the pier in her car. Marissa had unwisely only brought an umbrella that afternoon, thinking she could walk home.

"Hey, stranger," came a comforting voice, and she whirled around.

"Ryan, I…" her voice drifted off as she saw his expression. He looked completely peaceful, and he slowly took hold of her hand.

"I saw the car today. I saw you guys… all of you."

"I should've told you. I'm so incredibly sorry…"

"We can talk about this tomorrow. I'd really like to start walking home at the moment, though." Marissa shifted the umbrella so it was covering both of them and got a firmer grip on his hand. They walked off into the distance, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. The rain gradually faded until it was just a mist, and the darkness surrounded them as they made their way back home.

A/N: I was going to have a Seth/Summer scene, too, (Thus the chapter's title) but I liked this one too much to mess it up. I'll try and update as soon as I get a couple more reviews!


	3. A Chance of Thunderstorms

AN: Thank you for the reviews for chapter two! ItalHunni28… the SS scenes at the beginning and end are dedicated to you especially, and the rest of the chapter goes to

KC-Chick, Rainygal, and ILuvDanBen33. I'm really sorry guys, but with Theresa and Trey entering the story more, I'm gonna have to give them fonts for thoughts, too… Theresa's going to be in the italicized bold, and Trey will be underlined italicized bold. I know it's confusing, but I don't want to start confusing thoughts with words or narration.

Chapter Three: A Chance of Thunderstorms

**I don't know what happened yesterday, but I really hope it was all just a bizarre nightmare, because if Theresa really is… and I really said to Cohen what I think I did… and I actually helped Marissa ruin her life… than that was one crappy day… Who is knocking on the door? If that is the Step-Monster… **

"Cohen, what are you doing here? I need to study for a test for… something… at school… but why are you here?"

"Summer, I need to talk to you. Listen, since yesterday, I haven't been able to think of anything but how much I've screwed up. I am so incredibly sorry. I just… I need you to listen to me, to just… if you have any feelings left for me, than please give me a chance."

"I don't know how I feel right now. I just need time… and space… I just think it would be a good idea if we started seeing other people."

"Summer, please don't do this! I don't want to lose you again. Last time it was my fault, and it's still kind of my fault, but I just need one more chance… if I blow that than I can totally understand you never giving me another one, but please… please…" Seth's shoulders sagged, and his eyes inadvertently filled with tears. The anger that had been flashing through Summer's eyes softened, and hurt slowly seeped in.

"Cohen, I gave you my body and my heart, and very frankly, you've betrayed both. I just… I can't help feeling hurt… I just need some time and space to figure this out… I'm sorry." She gently closed the door in his face, sighing as she saw his features crumple right in front of her. She had to hold back the tears as she looked discreetly out the window at him walking away, shoulders sagging; defeat evident.

**Summer… If I could take back the moment I agreed to do the graphic novel, the way I lied to you about Reed, and just the way I've been lately, I would. I am trying so hard… I just can't help it. We haven't been the way we used to for too long now to just dismiss it… I wish I could wipe away the tears that I know you're too stubborn to cry right now; I wish that I wasn't the reason you're trying to hold tears back. If I could do Friday all over again, I would leave that party with you, I would've waited until we were both calmed down and talked to you about it for real, just the two of us. I don't want to be this way anymore. I just want you back… I just want us back. Please, please just let me prove to you that I will never hurt you like I did before ever again. I need you… I love you… Summer…**

Marissa blew her nose and wiped some of the dampness from her face. After doing that for the last three hours, she'd become a pro at shooting the dirty tissues into the trash can. She groaned when she heard a knock at the door. Caleb and Julie were gone for the weekend "exploring their feelings," so she was there all alone… again…

"Trey? Is something wrong? I didn't expect to see you here… what's up?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just… um, it sounds ridiculous… but I just thought that you might, um, need someone… just to talk to about this whole mess." He shrugged his shoulders and grinned sheepishly, kicking lightly at the imaginary stones on the front steps. "You look kind of like you might wanna be alone right now, though, so…" He turned around, walking quickly down the driveway.

"Wait!" He turned around slowly with such a vulnerable, hopeful look on his face that she could hardly keep herself from smiling. "Truth be told, having someone to talk to might be kinda nice… I'll meet you at the pier in forty minutes?" he nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Bye, Trey."

"I'll see you in forty minutes, Marissa."

_**Trey is so adorable when he's nervous... in a completely brother-sister way, of course. He really should just say something… this is getting to be plain old awkward. I guess I'll break the silence.**_

"Got a hot date?"

"W-w-what? There is no… date. I'm just going to meet a friend… Marissa, actually."

"Are you serious? You really like her, huh?" she teased, surprised at what she saw. Theresa watched his facial expression change about three times from shock to guilt to skepticism before resting on the final one. "Oh my gosh, you can't do that to Ryan!" she exclaimed softly.

"I'm not… and besides, if we're going down that road, I think that I'm a little better-off than you. All I'm going to do is talk to Marissa… God knows she needs someone to help her through this."

"That's what she has Summer and Ryan for," Theresa pointed out, confused by the anger boiling inside her.

"Look, not to be rude, but Summer's not exactly the most comforting person… she'd just as soon knock out your adversary as simply lend a sympathetic ear. If you really think that Ryan's in any shape to be thinking about anything other than the fact that he has a son he never knew about and a girlfriend who broke up with him so that he could get back together with you, than you really are delusional!"

"SO MUCH FOR NOT BEING RUDE!" she screamed, turning around on her heel.

_**Trey and I never have gotten along well. Mom always used to say that we invented things to bicker about when we were younger. Oh, no… I forgot that Charlie was still sleeping.**_

Theresa picked up Charlie and started rocking him back and forth in her arms, desperately trying to calm him down. "C'mon, sport… it's okay. Mama's sorry for waking you up. Yes she is."

_**I love watching her hold him. The two of them look so perfect together… I always knew she would make a great mom. Ryan's gonna go nuts for both of them when he sees the two of them together. At least I'll still be there for Marissa… I don't like where any of these thoughts are going…**_

"Can I… can I hold him?" He queried softly, looking hesitantly at the delicate baby.

"Of course. Here, you wrap this arm around the edge of his body that's facing away from you and use your elbow to support his head, and then you take your other arm and put it like this," she instructed, positioning his arms. When she looked up, she was inches away from Trey. "You're a natural," she whispered quietly, backing away.

"Hey, little man. I'm your uncle Trey. I helped bring your daddy up, and let's just say I wasn't always the best influence. That's all going to change now, though. I'm going to make sure that you never get into trouble, and when you're old enough, if you even think about stealing any cars… I'm gonna kick your butt." Theresa laughed slowly as Trey leaned down to examine his features. His nose stuck out a little bit like Ryan's, and his pudgy baby face framed Theresa's mouth and eyebrows. He had her silky, black hair and Ryan's baby blue eyes. He was perfect. He was Trey's nephew. He didn't even notice that Charlie had quieted down.

"You better be going, huh?"

"Shoot, you're right. Okay, I'm going to go to the pier to meet Marissa… you know what? Why don't you let me bring Charlie with me? You must need a break, and I bet Marissa would love to get to know the little guy a little bit more." Despite her dubious expression, Theresa got his diaper bag and car seat.

"Just make sure that you feed him at ten, okay?"

"Don't worry. Just… have fun. Give yourself a pedicure, or whatever it is that girls do… just don't stress. We'll be fine, won't we Charlie?" Theresa laughed as they walked out the door, staring down at her fingers when they left.

"I haven't had a second alone to myself for the past two months," she grumbled. "Now I have over an hour. The question is… what do I do?"

_Where is he? Maybe I shouldn't have come… if I'm right about what I think is going through his mind, than I definitely shouldn't have… it's not fair to lead him on… but what if he's the only chance I get at happiness? Ryan said we would talk today after he walked me home, but he hasn't called or come over to my house… even if he doesn't fall for Theresa, he's gonna love Charlie, which means bye-bye to Marissa… and hello to Ryan Atwood's instant family. _

"Hey! Marissa!" She turned around when she heard Trey's voice and raised her eyebrows when she saw him coming toward her carrying Charlie. "I hope you don't mind. I just thought that since you two never got a chance to become properly acquainted, you might enjoy a chance to hold him and everything."

"That sounds great. Here, I'll take Charlie and you can get all his stuff settled on the bench. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of getting us Subway."

"Well, I've never been one to refuse food. Oh, here, let me show you how to hold him…"

"I know how to hold a baby. I have a little sister, remember?" she said, laughing. "Hey there, little guy. I love that bib of yours. It's so cute! Look at you. I almost think you're listening to me. You remind me so much of your… of your…" she stuttered uncertainly, suddenly losing the contented expression she'd had just a moment ago.

"It's weird how much he reminds you of Ryan, huh? I mean, he does have some of Ryan's features, but for the most part besides his eyes, you would never think it would hit you in the face like that…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been trying to hard to do the right thing with all of this. I just… I keep on wishing that I hadn't said anything. I know it's terrible, but it's true."

"It would've eaten at you if you hadn't said anything. You wouldn't have been able to face Ryan, and it would've killed you on the inside. You did the right thing."

"That's what I keep on telling myself. It just doesn't get any easier." A tear spilled out of her eye, and Trey reached out and swiped it away. Such a simple, innocent gesture carried too much meaning. She looked into his eyes and held his gaze. Neither one said a thing, and they ate in silence, not saying another word until Marissa said goodbye to Charlie and Trey because she had a "thing." Neither one of them believed her, and Ryan wouldn't have if he'd been within earshot of their conversation from where he was sitting in his car, hurt, silent, and angry.

_I never thought that Trey would do this to me. Not Trey. He's my brother. I should've guessed. They always had a thing for each other… maybe Marissa was just waiting for a reason to dump me and get with him. Is that what happened? I thought I knew them, I really did. I guess that it's pretty obvious, though, that I didn't. I can't believe that after everything, after all this time, Marissa and I can't make it work. Too bad I had to learn that through Trey, though._

Theresa jumped slightly when she heard the doorbell ring. It couldn't be Marissa, and she doubted that Summer would be visiting her.

"Ryan! Oh my gosh, what's wrong? Are you okay? You look like you've just been run over by a truck!"

"Do you know if Marissa and Trey are… I mean, do you know it they're…?"

"Honestly? I wouldn't be surprised. You really shouldn't jump to conclusions though… they're both just scared, and confused… and if anyone knows what type of things can happen when you're scared and confused, it would be me." Her voice dropped off at the end.

"Look, why didn't you just tell me the truth? I really… I really wanna be a part of my son's life. Did you think that I wouldn't?"

"No, I didn't. I could tell, though, that you weren't happy with you and me living in the same house, sleeping in the same bed, but not being… together. I just… I love you Ryan, and I only want you and Charlie to be happy. Please, please don't be mad at me… I get now that what I did was wrong. I just didn't…" Her shoulders were shaking, and Ryan awkwardly came and embraced her, hoping, praying it was the right thing to do.

"I love you too, Theresa. Maybe not like you want, but I'll get there some day. I just… I want to make this work. Both of us alone don't make any sense," he said, envisioning Trey and Marissa at the pier again. It was only then that Theresa's arms encircled him as well, tentatively reaching out, hoping to mend the heart that was breaking inside him. If only she knew how impossible that task was.

"Summer? What are you… I mean why are you… you know what? Never mind. Umm… come in." Seth ushered her inside, not quite sure what was going on. He winced when he saw her red-rimmed eyes, knowing that he'd played a huge part in her having those.

"Look, Cohen, I was wrong… I was so busy thinking about how you hurt me and how I was feeling that I didn't stop to think about you or the position that I put you in. I know that it seems like I'm jerking you around or playing games with you, but if you're… if you're willing to give us another chance, than I promise you that I will never play another game with you again."

"I… I don't know what to say, other than yes. I'm sorry about everything. I know that I probably should've figured it out and…"

"Hey Cohen," Summer said, coming closer to him.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," she replied, closing the distance and kissing him.


	4. A Change In Direction

A/N: Hey! Well, I must say looking back that I can understand completely how this isn't the most promising chapter… I've changed the format for the thoughts like suggested to ease a few confused and irritated people, and since I'm not willing to go back and re-write the whole chapter I'll just try to salvage the mess I made. I'd still really like to kill of Caleb because, um, I hate they guy's guts, but even though it was logical and believable, I hate to think of Trey as a would-be rapist, so I'm going to keep him around. Kirsten will be going to rehab, but I'm going to address that in a couple chapters… I don't want it to seem like I'm throwing a bunch of unrelated events together to try and create a "dramatic" appeal.

Chapter Four: A Change in Direction

_Marissa's Thoughts Why did I do that? I don't have feelings for Trey! I mean, he's a great guy minus the criminal past and it's not like he's ugly or extremely weird or anything, but I just… I love Ryan. What was I thinking? Being confused isn't any excuse… I just really wish that things were different. I'm going to go and talk to Ryan right now and straighten this whole thing out. I need to stop being so SELFISH and focus on him! End_

"Hey, Marissa, what a nice surprise!" Kirsten said, opening the door up. "Seth and Summer are upstairs, and I'm not quite sure where Ryan is. I think he left to see Trey or something." She shrugged her shoulders apologetically.

"Oh, no! Thank you, Mrs. Cohen," Marissa called out, waving before turning around and running out the door.

Turning the key in the ignition, she looked down at her shaky hands, willing them to still. Realizing she was going to be unsuccessful for awhile, she turned into reverse and got out, speeding towards Trey's.

"Trey? Ryan? Are you guys there?" she called out, knocking on the door loudly. Theresa answered the door, a strangely uncomfortable Ryan behind her.

"Hey, Marissa," Theresa said, giving her a nod and beckoning her to come in.

"Hey. I know how this looks and I'm sorry, but could I possibly speak to Ryan alone?" Marissa asked, biting her lip hesitantly. She saw Theresa grow almost possessive of Ryan as she moved closer.

"I don't think that there's anything that you can't say in front of both of us. Should we just wait for Trey to start having this out?" Her tone was as sharp as and arrow, and unfortunately it hit its mark.

"Fine. If that's the way we have to do it… look, I do need to apologize for being irrational and for grabbing onto the first person who offered me a shoulder to cry on. That was Trey. We met up for lunch. I held Charlie. He wiped away a couple of my tears and we had an uncomfortable moment. We realized that we were treading on dangerous ground and crossing a line, so we stopped. We stopped, guys. You have to believe me, Ryan…" She could see Ryan's eyes reflecting regret as he met her gaze.

"Well, then I guess that I need to apologize too. I was sitting in the car and watching you and Trey. I don't know why, but for some reason, I just kept on thinking back to you and DJ, and it all just seemed so similar, even though they were two completely different things… I guess that I just let it get to me. I made a mistake, and I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I mean, you didn't do anything wrong at all… I probably would've thought the same thing," Marissa admitted, looking down at her feet.

Theresa cleared her throat. "Guys, I think that we need to discuss something. It's obvious that you two are still in love, and I… I just don't know how to handle this. I'm more than willing to step aside, but I think that for everybody's good, Marissa's included, we need to talk about how we want Charlie to view this."

"I don't know what there is to talk about," Ryan objected. "You'll always be his mom and I'll always be his dad, and we'll split the time that we spend with him. As far as Marissa goes, I guess that it's up to her what role she plays in his life."

Marissa fidgeted uncomfortably as both pairs of eyes turned to her. "Well, I'd really like to be involved in Charlie's life. I'd never, ever try to replace Theresa or come in between you guys… I mean, I'm just going to have to accept that whether or not you two are romantically involved you'll always have a special type of friendship because you have a baby. I would really like to be like and aunt or a special adult friend of his, though."

"What happens if you and Ryan eventually break up? How is that going to affect Charlie? We all know that you two can't stay together forever… we need to discuss this now."

"How about you just back off and let them discuss it with you when and if it happens, Reese?" They all turned to look at Trey, standing in the doorway.

_Theresa's thoughts I can't believe he used my pet name! None of this even concerns him! Can't he just leave for now? End_

"Watch it, Trey. This is none of your business," Theresa warned.

"The heck it isn't his business! He's the uncle!" Ryan exclaimed, his voice getting surprisingly loud without reaching the shouting level.

"I just don't see why so many other people have to be involved with raising OUR kid!"

"Other people were always involved. Ryan and I hadn't resolved our breakup the right way yet, so I was involved. Seth was his confidant and Trey is his brother, so they're both involved. Your family's involved, too, just like all of the Cohens. You can't try to make this about you, Theresa. Yes, you are his parent, but no, you can't try to single-handedly control everyones' lives like that." Ryan and Trey looked at Marissa, shocked. She hadn't had her usual angry or biting edge when she'd said it, and her face was completely free of any sign of sarcasm.

"Speaking of which, where's Charlie?" Theresa asked.

"I left him with Seth and Summer. I had a feeling that I'd managed to screw things up over here, and I figured that it couldn't be good for him emotionally to be around a bunch of adults duking it out."

"But being around two people who are most likely making out right now is?" Theresa shot back, glaring at him.

"Let's give them some credit, okay? As self-centered as Seth is, Summer will probably be doting over him," Ryan said, getting slightly irritated by the jab at his friends.

"Fine! You know what? I can't deal with this right now. You two define you relationship, you go pick up Charlie and make sure that they haven't managed to kill my son, and I'll go cool off and get ready for round two." Theresa threw her hands up in the air.

"There isn't any round two. It's not your choice what I do with my life. I can assure you that being with Marissa isn't going to negatively affect my fathering abilities, considering that I haven't even seen the little guy yet. If Marissa and I break up then we'll explain it to Charlie when we get there, but I don't appreciate your lack of faith in my relationship skills," Ryan stated, taking Marissa's hand and walking out the door.

"Well, I guess that you'd better start picking your battles, missy," Trey commented as he plopped down on the couch, turning on the old TV he'd been able to pick up for twenty bucks at a yard sale.

"Yeah, whatever," she muttered, retreating to the bathroom for some peace and quiet.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Seth's Thoughts Holding a baby is surprisingly less nerve-wracking than I imagined. I mean, you've got to admit that when he has Atwood genes in him you don't know whether he's gonna start bawling or beat the bloody pulp out of you. Plus, it isn't exactly a tragedy that Summer is really feeling this whole paternal vibe I'm giving off. End_

"Oh my gosh, he is SO cute, Cohen! You should write him into your comic book as the baby with the power to charm anyone! Did I mention that is undoubtedly the CUTEST baby EVER!"

"Oh, only three thousand times," Seth deadpanned, leaning in to stare intently into Charlie's eyes just as a small hand reached up and clamped onto his hair, unwilling to let go. "Ow, ow, OW, Summer, get it OFF me!" he yelped, and Summer laughed before preceding to detach the baby from Seth's hair and cradling him in her arms.

"Who's the cutest widdle guy on the pwanet? YOU are! That's right, YOU are!"

"Hey, I thought that title belonged to me," Seth mumbled, crossing his arms.

"Sorry, but you've been dethroned." She paused a minute, letting Charlie grab onto one of her fingers. "You know, I always assumed that I would hate babies. I don't know why. I mean, in theory they're cute, but… I've seen the comedies where all of a sudden poop starts erupting from their butts and it's impossible to pacify it, whether you're rocking or bouncing or feeding or changing the poor little thing. With Charlie, though… I mean, I changed my first diaper today, Cohen! And I loved it! I mean, earlier when he was screaming bloody murder, I got so irritated I thought that I might have to hit you a couple times to relieve the stress, but I didn't! Who would've guessed that I'm, like, maternal dynamite!"

Seth looked at her, and not knowing what else to say, he just added, "Well, I'm glad that you didn't have to hit me."

"It's also a good thing that this cute little bundle is in my arms right now, because if he wasn't than you would be getting your…"

"Let's not have his brain absorbing profanities quite yet, all right?" Seth interrupted, playfully covering the baby's ears. Suddenly Trey walked in.

"Hey, thanks for watching him. I'm really sorry for the short notice…"

"That's okay, just fill us in on everything," Seth said.

"Well, it wasn't pretty. I mean, it wasn't terrible, but it could've gone a lot better. Theresa kept on getting catty and possessive of Ryan, and he wouldn't take it. Then she started attacking Marissa and claiming that she was looking out for Charlie's best interests, and Marissa put her in her place…"

"Go, Coop!" Summer cheered.

"… and then everyone kind of drifted off. I think that Ryan and Marissa might actually be in the poolhouse talking right now."

Seth snorted. "They're in a perfectly good poolhouse. WHY would they be TALKING?"

"Perv. Don't let the baby hear you talking like that!" Summer softly reprimanded.

"Well, I've gotta be going, so thanks again and I'll talk to you guys soon," Trey said, moving to take Charlie from Summer. She paused for a moment looking at him with foreboding before handing him Charlie.

"If you so much as give him a SCRATCH…"

"Okay, let's leave Trey and the baby alone," Seth interjected, putting his arms around Summer's shoulders.

When Trey finally left he came closer to Summer, kissing her neck. "You know what the GOOD think about not having a baby around is? Finally being able to do this." He turned around and kissed her, still feeling the same old delight as she kissed him back.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Ryan's Thoughts Okay, so this isn't a bad way to pass the time. In fact, have a blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty in my arms isn't bad at all. This time, I've just got to remember not to get anyone pregnant. Okay, bad joke man… DON'T start acting like Seth…End_

"Hey Ry?" Marissa suddenly asked, turning to face him from their spot at the pier, looking out at the ocean.

"What is it?"

"Do you think that we'll end up breaking up again like Theresa said?"

"I think that for once, it might do us some good to NOT think about the past or the future or worry about whether or not we're being mature or immature. Maybe we should just let ourselves be," he answered, taking a long time to form what he wanted to say and get it all out.

"I think that the poet in you has been hiding out behind that silent, broody exterior all this time," she replied, lacing her fingers behind his neck and touching his forehead with hers.

"Don't push your luck."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she answered, kissing him slowly and intently. He wrapped his arms even more tightly around her waist, wanting her so much that it made his whole body ache.

"How about we sit down before we get too out of hand?" she whispered, motioning to a nearby bench.

"Okay. I don't really want to talk about this anymore, though."

"Who said we had to talk? How about we just say nothing at all, and watch the ocean, and think about us and who we are right now without thinking about other people, and do exactly what you just suggested?" Being the first to start, Ryan answered with a nod.

So the sun faded away from its brilliant hues of oranges and reds and gold while it reflected over the water until it faded, making way for stars, however few, to twinkle next to a moon that shone in silver against a velvet-blue sky, and still they sat there.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey Trey?" Theresa asked, sitting down next to him, looking almost lost.

"What is it?" he responded, getting ready to tune her out.

"Ryan's never going to love me; not the way he loves Marissa, will he?"

Trey paused for a moment, looking her in the eyes. "No, I don't think he will."

"So maybe I should just leave and let them be happy." She couldn't seem to stop the steady stream of tears dripping down her face.

"Hey, nobody's leaving. Without you here, who am I going to talk about the old days in Chino with? Seth?" They both laughed at the idea, and he gave her a hug before they turned back to the TV. Theresa looked down in surprise when she felt Trey's fingers intertwine with hers. Instead of moving or saying anything, she simply responded, sitting there in her flannel PJ's with her son sleeping in his playpen in Trey's room where he was letting her stay.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Sandy? I need to talk to you about something," Ryan said quietly, sitting Sandy down.

"Sure, what is it, kid?" As every last detail unfolded, Sandy put his head in his hands. "So she's staying with Trey? At least that's taken care of… I'm so sorry, Ryan. Kirsten and I are here for you all the way. I'd rather we waited until tomorrow morning to talk with her about this, though."

"I understand," Ryan replied, almost grateful that he didn't have to talk with his surrogate mother about it tonight.

"I'm telling you Summer. If Trey and Theresa go together then we could be the Stealth Six! I mean, isn't it catchy?"

"Sure, Cohen…" Ryan and Sandy laughed. Suddenly, the phone rang.

Sandy answered, a string of "Oh, no" "I'm so sorry" and "Of course we will" phrases being thrown around. When he set down the phone, an enclosing silence filled the room.

"Mr. Cohen…?" Summer questioned uncertainly.

"It's Caleb. He's dead."


End file.
